Infant trainer



C. G. CARLSON INFANT TRAINER Filed Feb. 20, 1957 Aug. as, @93s.

Cil

Patented Aug. 1e, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INFANT TRAINER Clarence G. Carlson, Oakland, Calif. Application February 20, 1937, Serial No. 126,823

8 Claims.

'Ihe present invention relates to an infant training device, and more particularly to an attachable seat for a full sized toilet to accommodate an infant in a natural posture lfor elimination.

An object of the present invention ls toV provide an attachable seat for a standard toilet which will accommodate an infant in a safe and practical manner with comfort and in a natural posture.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachable seat of the above character which is particularly adapted to use with the so-called open front toilet seats.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seat of the above character with an adjustable foot rest which may be regulated for the comfort of infants of different ages and/or as the infant grows.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and novel foot rest for infant trainers of the character described, which is inexpensive, simple in construction and capable of a wide adjustment.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation, a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of lan infant trainer constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification of the device as applied to an adult toilet seat, and

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the device shown in Figure l, with a portion broken away to show the manner of attaching and adjusting a foot rest support.

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, the infant trainer contemplated by this invention has a seat portion member IU upon which there is mounted a curved back II having arm rests or grips I2 at its sides. At the front of the seat portion I U there is a shield or splasher I3 and at the upper end of the shield I3 there is an ornamental member I4 which, in the drawing, is

illustrated as a ducks head. Below the seat' y portion I Il and at the front of the shield 'I3 there is a downwardly extending bowl engaging member I5 which may be constructed in a number of forms. In its preferred form the member I5 may comprise a strip of soft rubber that is secured in place by any suitable means. Extending outwardly at the front of the seat forming portion I l) there is a U-shaped or bail-like support I6 having downwardly curved sides Il and free ends I8 which extend into the sides of the seat forming portionl I 0, where they are adjustably secured by means of screws I9. Mounted upon the support I6 and secured between its curved sides l 'I there is a foot rest 2U which is adjustable upon the support I6 in a direction substantially oblique to the plane of the seat forming portion I0. 'I'his foot rest 2U is preferably formed of hard wood and at its ends it has slots 2B into which the curved sides I l of the support I6 are disposed. When the foot rest 2@ is properly adjusted upon its support I6, as will hereinafter appear, it will be firmly held in position by the support I6 when the latter is adjusted and secured upon the seat forming portion Id.

In Figure 2 of the drawing, the infant trainer is shown as mounted upon an open front type of toilet seat, designated by the numeral 22. The toilet seat 22 is illustrated as in its down position upon a standard toilet bowl 23. In this figure of the drawing, it will be seen that the seat forming portion Il] has downwardly and outwardly extending seat engaging members 2d which engage and pass under the toilet seat 22, so that in cooperation with the bowl engaging member I5, they will serve to secure the seat forming portion Ill centrally upon the toilet seat 22. In connection with this ligure of the drawing it will also be noted that the sides Il of the foot rest support I@ are curved downwardly with relatively sharp bends at points designated by the numerals 25 and 25. The purpose of these relatively sharp bends in the sides Il of the foot rest support l@ is to provide for a more secure positioning of the foot rest 2B respectively in the positions A and B, as shown by dot and dash lines in this ligure of the drawing. With these sharp bends in the sides Il it will be understood that because of the length and straightness of the slots 2l in the ends of the foot rest 2li, the latter member will bind at these points should pressure be exerted thereupon. While this feature is desirable, it is to be understood that it is not a necessary one, since the sides Il of the support IS may be otherwise curved and/or constructed to form a tight clamping engagement upon the foot rest 20 when the free ends I8 thereof are inserted into and secured upon the seat forming portion I0, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. With the arrangement described it will be readily seen that the foot rest 20 may be adjusted into any comfortable position,ithe major adjustment being made by locating the foot rest 20 either at the bottom of the support I8 or in the positions A or B, and then from any one of these positions into any intermediate position by an adjustment of the support I8 as a whole with respect to the seat, this latter adjustment being determined by the distance the ends I8 of the support I8 extend into the sides of the seat forming portion I0, where they are firmly secured by the screws I8.

As shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, the range of adjustment provided for by the ends I8 of the support I6 upon the seat forming portion I0 is more than equal to the distance between the three positions of the foot rest 20, illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, and as a result, by a combined adjustment of the support I6 with respect to the seat forming portion I0 and an adjustment of the foot rest 2li upon the support I6, it is possible to obtain either a very small or a large adjustment of the foot rest 20 with respect to the seat forming portion I0, and consequently the trainer may be used with comfort for many months while a child is growing.

In addition to the above features it should also be pointed out that the shield I3, because of its ornamental head I4, renders the device attractive to an infant. A further new and novel feature of the arrangement shown resides in the provision of the extending arm rests I2 that form grips for the hands of an active infant, which in association with the foot rest makes it possible for the infant to exercise and more easily adjust itself upon the seat. As an element of safety and as further assurance to the infant, the trainermay also be provided with a safety belt 21, which can be easily applied to the back II by passing it through slots 28 formed therein;

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose the invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific device and arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and it is desired to claim it so that all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In an infant trainer of the character described, the combination of a seat forming member adapted to be secured upon a toilet seat to accommodate an infant, a support extending outwardly at the front of said seat forming member', means upon said seat forming member for'slideably securing said support thereupon, means for securing said support in a predetermined `position with respect to said seat forming member, said support having spaced springable sides extending at an angle oblique to the plane of said seat forming member, and a foot rest disposed and clamped between the springable sides of said support when said support is secured upon the seat forming member.

2. In an infant trainer of the character described, the combination of a seat formingmember adapted to be secured upon a toilet seat and s accommodate an infant, a U-shaped foot rest supporting member having its closed end disposed in front of said seat forming member and its ends removably 4secured upon said seat forming member, and a foot rest disposed between and -having means at its end edges frictionally engaging the sides of said U-shaped foot rest supporting member, said foot rest being adapted to be held in any one of a number of positions by the sides of said supporting member when the ends thereof are secured upon said seat forming member.

3. In an infant trainer of the character described, the combination of a seat forming member adapted to be secured upon a toilet seat to accommodate an infant, a U-shaped foot rest supporting member having downwardly curved sides disposed outwardly in front of said seat forming member and having its ends removably secured upon the seat forming member, a foot rest disposed transversely between the curved sides of said U-shaped foot rest supporting member, said foot rest having a straight slot in each end adapted to engage the curved sides of said support, whereby said foot rest will be held with its straight slots tangent to the curved sides of said U-shaped supporting member by a clamping action when the ends of the support are secured upon said seat forming member.

- 4. In an infant trainer of the character described, the combination of a seat forming member adapted to be secured upon a toilet seat to accommodate an infant, a U-shaped support having ends removably secured upon said seat forming member and oppositely disposed sides formed with a series of downwardly extending andprogressively increasing angular portions, and a foot rest adapted to be clamped between voppositely disposed angular portions upon the sides of said U-shaped member when said member is secured upon said seat forming member, said foot rest being adjustable from one to the other of the parallel angular portions of said U-shaped support when said support is removed from the seat forming member, whereby the position of said foot rest may be adjusted upon said support to accommodate the growth of an infant.

5. In an infant trainer of the character described, the combination of a seat forming member adapted to be secured upon a toilet seat to accommodate an infant, a support extending outwardly at the front of said seat forming member, said support being formed by bending a rod into U-shape form with the sides thereof springable toward and away from each other, means upon said seat forming member engaging the sides of said support at its open end and adapted to hold the sides thereof sprung toward each other, and a foot rest disposed between the sides of said support, said foot rest being adjustable upon said support when the support is removed from said seat forming member and held in `its adjusted position when said support is secured upon the seat forming member.

6. In an infant trainer of vthe character described, thecombination of a seat forming member adapted to be secured upon a toilet seat to accommodate an infant, a U-shaped support having rearwardly projecting ends removably secured upon said seat forming member, and sides formed with a series of progressively increasing downwardly extending angular portions between which a foot rest may be disposed, and a foot rest having a straight slot in each end thereof adapted to engage oppositely disposed angular portions of said U-shaped support, the width of the slots in said foot rest and the angular increase in the disposition of the angular portions of said support being such that said foot rest will be held against slipping from one angularly disped portion of the support to another anguiarly disposed portion thereof when the U-shaped support is secured upon said. seat forming member.

7. In an infant trainer of the character described. the combination of a seat forming member adapted to be positioned upon a toilet seat and accommodate an infant, a U-shaped i'oot rest supporting member having its closed end disposed in front of said seat forming member and its ends removably secured upon said seat forming member, and a foot rest disposed between and having notched ends slidably engaging the sides of said U-shaped supporting member and adapted to be moved to and be heid in an operative position by the closed end thereof.

accommodate an infant, a U-shaped foot rest supporting member disposed in front of said seat forming member and having its ends removably y secured upon said seat forming member, and a foot rest disposed between the sides of said U- shaped foot rest supporting member, said foot rest having notches formed in its end edges in which pressure is exertedby the sides of said U-shaped foot rest supporting member, whereby said foot rest will be adjustably secured upon said foot rest supporting member by the sides thereof when the ends thereof are secured upon said seat. forming member.

CLARENCE G. CARLSON. 

